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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ground — the earth
  5. staff — employees
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tube — a container
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com